Centre to move SC against order quashing Prez Rule in Uttarakhand

The Uttarakhand high court on Thursday quashed President’s rule in the state, restoring the Congress government of Harish Rawat and asking it to prove its majority in the assembly on April 29.

The Centre will on Friday move the Supreme Court against the Uttarakhand high court’s order quashing President’s rule in the state.

Supreme Court of India. Centre will move the SC against the Uttarakhand HC order quashing President’s Rule in the state. (HT Photo)

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said the Centre’s petition against the high court’s order reviving of the Harish Rawat-led Congress government would be mentioned for an urgent hearing before a bench headed by chief justice TS Thakur on Friday.

In a counter move, chief minister Rawat filed a caveat in the apex court to ensure that no order is passed without giving him a hearing.

Sources said a copy of the detailed order of the HC was unlikely to be available immediately.

But terming the situation arising out of the HC order as “extra-ordinary”, sources said the Centre would move the SC against the HC verdict on the basis of the operating part that was pronounced at Nainital.

The Centre brought the state under central rule on March 27, citing “governance breakdown” after nine Congress lawmakers rebelled against Rawat. The deposed chief minister had challenged in court the Centre’s decision which came just a day before he was to prove his strength in the assembly.

A division bench of the high court said at the end of four days of hearing that they did not find enough material to justify the imposition of President’s rule.

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